Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to identify and describe the dietary patterns seen in a carefully selected sample that follows the Christian Orthodox Church (COC) fasting regime in Greece.MethodsA number of 361 individuals from Northern Greece participated in this cross-sectional study. A number of 176 subjects have been fasting according to the COC recommendations since childhood and 185 non-fasters acted as the control group. Dietary data from a validated food frequency questionnaire were used to derive dietary patterns by principal component analysis (PCA).ResultsThree distinct dietary patterns were identified in the fasting population, the “COC Fasting,” the “Western,” and the “Traditional” dietary pattern, whereas in the non-fasting population, two dietary patterns were found the “Western” and the “Traditional.” The dietary patterns in the fasting population were associated with healthier lifestyle choices, such as abstaining from alcohol and smoke and reduced red and processed meats consumption.ConclusionFindings from the study revealed that people who adhere to the COC fasting recommendations since childhood tend to follow this dietary pattern throughout the year. By gaining insights into the energy and nutrient intake of this unique dietary pattern, public health stakeholders could promote healthier eating behaviors to prevent non-communicable chronic diseases, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Highlights
Foods provide a large variety of nutrients that may have additive or synergetic effects on health promotion and disease prevention [1]
The Christian Orthodox Church (COC) fasting recommendations can be described as a unique dietary pattern that interchanges from a mixed to a vegetarian diet that includes fish and seafood and snails [7]
Our cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2018 in the Thessaloniki region in Greece and aimed at examining the effects of COC fasting on health and mainly on body composition, obesity, and metabolic syndrome
Summary
Foods provide a large variety of nutrients that may have additive or synergetic effects on health promotion and disease prevention [1]. Clinical trial interventions altering dietary patterns seemed to be more effective at lowering blood pressure than single nutrient supplementation [3]. They are extremely helpful in preventing nutrition-related diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis [4, 5], and are used to assess how official dietary guidelines at the nutrient and food level are met by populations and subgroups [6]. The Christian Orthodox Church (COC) fasting recommendations can be described as a unique dietary pattern that interchanges from a mixed to a vegetarian diet that includes fish and seafood and snails [7]. This fasting pattern is characterized by the traditional Mediterranean diet that includes high consumption of legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil, moderate-to-high consumption of fish and sea foods, and moderate intake of poultry and limited consumption of red and processed meat [9]
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